# Vascoda

vascoda was, until 2011, a German web portal which offered access to scientific information in various disciplines. The name vascoda is often associated with the medieval explorer Vasco da Gama, as this implies the connotation of navigating the sea of information. Initially, though, “vascoda“ is a made-up word created by an agency for naming and branding.
vascoda is also a non-profit organization which offers support and coordination of its members’ subject portals.

## vascoda
### Portal

The vascoda web portal offers access to information and full texts on various subjects through an integrative user interface. The searches can be performed within a certain subject or interdisciplinarily. Specialized subject portals can also be accessed directly via the vascoda portal.
The vascoda portal and the integrated subject portals are set up and maintained by academic libraries and other information providers with an international reputation. These institutions provide content of high standard, parts of which cannot be found by standard web search engines.
Access to the portal is free. However, for some of its services and resources a fee is required (pay-per-view). Furthermore, vascoda is connected to local library holdings and document delivery services.
vascoda’s data are integrated into the WorldWideScience global science gateway.

### Aim

The aim of vascoda is to merge academic resources into a single well-structured integrative information service.

### Supporting organization

vascoda is a registered voluntary association with 42 members, which are mostly German libraries and other information providers. The association’s aim is to develop and maintain the interdisciplinary vascoda portal. The vascoda office is based in Hanover. The portal is technically run by the NRW Online Utility and Library Service Centre (hbz).

### Subject portals integrated into vascoda

The following subject portals are currently accessible through the vascoda portal. Parts of their data are integrated into the vascoda search (as of June 2009):
| arthistoricum.net – Virtual Library for Art History b2i - library science, book studies, information science Cibera – Virtual Library Latin America / Spain / Portugal chem.de – chemistry Chronicon – history Clio-online – Internet Gateway for Historians CrossAsia – Virtual Library East and South-East Asia EconBiz – Virtual Library for Economics and Business Studies EVIFA – Virtual Library of Social Anthropology Fachportal Pädagogik – German Education Portal Genios – German Business Information Germanistik im Netz – Virtual Library of German Language and Literature Studies GetInfo – Specialist Information on Science and Technology Greenpilot – All About Life and Science historicum.net – history ilissAfrica (internet library sub-saharan Africa) IREON – International Relations and Area Studies Online MEDPILOT – All you need to know MENALIB – Middle East Virtual Library NedGuide – Virtual Library Dutch Culture Propylaeum – Virtual Library Classical Studies Psyndex – Reference Database of Psychological Literature and Tests | Savifa – Virtual Library South Asia; Information gateway for South Asia Studies Slavistics Portal – Virtual Library Slavistics Sowiport – Social Sciences at your Fingertip SPORTIF – Sport-scientific information-forum ViFaArt – Virtual Library of Contemporary Art vifabio – Virtual Library of Biology ViFaHolz – Virtual Library of Wood Technology vifamath – Virtual Library of Mathematics ViFa medien buehne film – communication studies, media studies, journalism studies, theatre studies, film studies, journalism ViFaMusik – music vifanord – Virtual Library of Northern European and Baltic Studies ViFaOst – Virtual Library Eastern Europe ViFaPharm – Virtual Library of Pharmacy ViFaPhys – The Physics Virtual Library ViFaPol – political science ViFaPsy – Virtual Library of Psychology ViFa Recht – Virtual Library Law ViFa Romanischer Kulturkreis – Virtual Library of Romance Culture ViFa Sport – Sports science ViFaTec – Engineering Subject Gateway ViFaVet – Virtual Library of Veterinary Medicine and General Parasitology VirTheo – Virtual Library of Theology and Religious Studies VLib AAC – Virtual Library of Anglo-American Culture |

### vascoda-related projects

A number of projects and working groups focussing on certain aspects relevant to vascoda were financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) or the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Various institutions were in charge of these projects. Some examples are:
* Functionality and operation of the vascoda portal
* Metadata, standards and questions of heterogeneity
* Coordination, marketing, quality assurance
* Content: rights, licences and business concepts
* Overall structures and tasks
* Shared authentication, authorization and permissions management
* Modelling and questions of heterogeneity
Currently, the German Research Foundation supports the vascoda 2010 project. The project aims at improving and furthering the vascoda portal.